Maureen (Pautz) Dvorak

Maureen Mary Dvorak, age 86 of St. Peter, died peacefully on Friday, August 30, 2024 surrounded by her children at the Benedictine Health Center in St. Peter. 

Maureen (Pautz) was born on May 5, 1938, to Elmer and Mary (Conroy) Pautz of Le Sueur. Following graduation from Le Sueur High School in 1956, Maureen attended nursing school at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul where she earned her Registered Nursing degree. 

While in high school, Maureen met William “Bill” Dvorak of St. Peter at a dance in Le Sueur. They were married on December 2, 1961 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Le Sueur. For the next sixty years, they made their home in St. Peter where they raised their three daughters and a son. 

Maureen’s nursing career included stops at hospitals in the Twin Cities as well as Le Sueur and St. Peter. While working as a registered nurse at the St. Peter Community Hospital, she was honored to become just one of 19 to be certified as a gerontological nurse. After 40 years as a registered nurse, she retired from the St. Peter Community Hospital as Nurse Manager. 

In her leisure time she especially enjoyed dancing with Bill, meeting with former high school and college friends, and traveling with sister Margaret and her husband Jim Plante. 

She is survived by her four children: Patty (Chuck) Gardner; Pam (Steve) Kibble; Dan (Jill Mueller) Dvorak; and Paula Ziebarth. Her sister Margaret Plante also survives as do nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren. 

She was preceded in death by her husband Bill in 2022, infant son Michael Dvorak, parents Mary and Elmer Pautz, and siblings Robert, Delmar, and Rick. 

A visitation will be held at the Catholic Church of St. Peter on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m., followed by Catholic Mass at 11 a.m.. Lunch will be provided at the church at the conclusion of Mass. Burial will take place at a later date. St. Peter Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. 

A special thanks to the caregivers at Benedictine Health Center and Hospice.